ARTH408: Contemporary Art

Unit 7: Contemporary Art in the Global WorldThe 21st century ushered the world of art into the global arena, where
there is no single specific art center or one specific art technique to
speak about. However, there are some pressing issues that are common and
that most artists around the world are sharing, and this is what we will
examine in this final unit.

Unit 7 Time AdvisoryThis unit will take
you approximately 15 hours to complete:

☐ Subunit 7.1: 2 hours

☐ Subunit 7.2: 2 hours

☐ Subunit 7.3: 4 hours

☐ Museum Visit: 2 hours

☐ Writing Assignment: 5 hours

Unit7 Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, the student will be able to:
- Identify the reasons and issues associated with the global art world
today.
- Describe main characteristics of contemporary artistic practice
today.
- Define and discuss the way contemporary art addresses consumerism.
- Explain the ways the role of performance art today is different from
the one in the 1970s.
- Describe and discuss the way non-Western artists address political
issues today.
- Identify what is the importance of contemporary art and artistic
practice in the global world.
- Discuss the role of humor and imagination in contemporary artistic
practice today.

Instructions: Please read these entire webpages, which address some
of the concerns that contemporary artists face today in the global
world, such as: Do an increasing number of temporary and biennial
exhibitions around the world give an equal opportunity in the same
way for artists coming from different parts of the world, especially
to those who have been marginalized and excluded for so long?
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read this entire webpage for a brief
introduction to a group of performance artists who use funny tactics
to raise social awareness about globalization.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read this entire webpage for information on
performance artist Bill Talen, also known as Reverend Billy, and his
work.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Instructions: Please read this entire webpage, including watching
the entire video (approximately 8 minutes), for an introduction to
Kentridge’s work.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.

Activity: Performance Now and Then.
Instructions: Please write a one-page analysis comparing the work of
the Reverend Billy and Vito Acconci. Use the material on performance
art already covered in Unit 3 to examine similarities and
differences between these two artists.

Instructions: Please click the “Launch” button to launch an
interactive feature to view Kentridge’s work in a collection
entitled Tide Table. The exhibition will allow you to see the
artist work, hear his thoughts on music he uses in his work, and get
an overall very good sense of his artistic practices.

Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use
displayed on the webpage above.